Katabasis

What Katabasis does

Katabasis, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 and headquartered in Grifton, North Carolina, that develops educational technology for underserved K-12 students in rural eastern North Carolina. The organization is led by co-founders William D. Causey (President) and Dr. Joseph B. Wiggins (Vice President, Ph.D. in Human-Centered Computing focused on Educational AI), supported by a small technical team drawn largely from NC State University's computer science program. It operates a portfolio of four programs: SCHOLAR, an AI and Augmented Reality-based intelligent virtual agent that provides real-time literacy feedback to elementary students (grades 1-3), particularly those with disabilities; Agricoding, a block-based coding game centered on agriculture for rural K-8 classrooms; FRACTAL, a five-expedition art + computer science curriculum for 6th-8th graders that includes a generative AI literacy component; and Computer Building Camps, hands-on summer camps where students assemble and take home computers. Programs are delivered free of charge through co-design partnerships with at least five North Carolina county school districts (Jones, Granville, Greene, Robeson, Bertie) and research partners WestEd and the University of Florida Literacy Institute.

Name

Katabasis

Legal name

Katabasis, Inc.

Website

https://katabasis.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Katabasis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds AI/AR literacy tutoring, block-based coding games, and CS curriculum for underserved K-12 students in rural eastern North Carolina, delivered free through school district partnerships and funded by federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Technology Software

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Advanced Project-Based Learning & Portfolio Mentoring (STEM/arts portfolios, maker projects) (EDANAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Instructional Equipment & Classroom Tools (Whiteboards, Lab Kits, Manipulatives) (EDAEAIAB)

Keywords

• Educational technology
• K-12 literacy software
• Block-based coding games
• AI tutoring platforms
• Nonprofit education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Grifton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporations support the organization's educational technology programs. The organization is a nonprofit 501(c)(3).
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded t-shirts (youth sizes at $20, adult unisex at $25) through the organization's own e-commerce storefront. Products are made on demand to reduce overproduction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Katabasis is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that develops and deploys educational technology products for underserved K-12 students in rural eastern North Carolina. Its portfolio includes SCHOLAR (an AI/AR literacy tutoring tool for elementary students with disabilities), FRACTAL (an art and computer science curriculum integrating generative AI for middle schoolers), Agricoding (a block-based programming game centered on agriculture for K-8 students), and Computer Building Camps (hands-on hardware programs where students build and take home computers).

Product overview

Katabasis is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that develops educational technology products for underserved communities. The product portfolio centers on three core educational technology initiatives: FRACTAL (an art and computer science curriculum integrating AI literacy), Agricoding (a block-based coding game for rural students), and SCHOLAR (an AI/AR-powered literacy tool for elementary students). The organization also operates Computer Building Camps where students construct computers while learning CS concepts. These products are designed to work synergistically—FRACTAL builds digital literacy and AI awareness, Agricoding teaches programming fundamentals, SCHOLAR addresses reading deficiencies through AI tutoring, and Computer Building Camps provide hardware access and hands-on STEM experience. Katabasis also sells branded merchandise (t-shirts) as a supplementary revenue stream.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SCHOLAR

Quantifiable outcome

• Students receive a computer to take home after completing the Computer Building Camp.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WestEdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestEd provides key insights into best reading pedagogy practices for the SCHOLAR project and leads development of the FRACTAL application and curriculum alongside Katabasis. WestEd is a key research and implementation partner across multiple programs.
• University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUFLI provides literacy expertise and best reading pedagogy insights for the SCHOLAR AI/AR literacy tutoring program targeting elementary students with disabilities.
• Jones CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJones County hosts co-design sessions with teachers for the SCHOLAR program and serves as a pilot testing partner, providing feedback on reading classroom needs and program improvements.
• Granville CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGranville County partners with Katabasis for co-design sessions with teachers on SCHOLAR and Agricoding, and serves as a pilot testing site for both programs.
• Greene CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreene County Schools participate in co-design sessions with teachers to collect experiences and refine FRACTAL curriculum prototypes for integration into art classrooms.
• Robeson CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRobeson County Schools are part of the teacher co-design network for FRACTAL, contributing to curriculum refinement and pilot testing across diverse North Carolina school settings.
• Empirical EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmpirical Education supports the FRACTAL project alongside WestEd and Katabasis in developing the curriculum and application.
• North Carolina State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNC State University is listed as a partner. Co-founder William D. Causey graduated from NC State, and multiple team members hold CS degrees from the university, forming a talent and research pipeline.
• Granville County Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGranville County Public Schools is a named partner organization helping Katabasis reach and support students in need.
• Bertie County SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBertie County Schools is a named partner organization receiving Katabasis educational programs.
• Jones County Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJones County Public Schools is a named partner organization actively involved in co-design and pilot testing of Katabasis programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Khan Academy: Khan Academy is a large nonprofit providing free online educational content across K-12 and beyond. It is comparable as a broader-incumbent peer because both are nonprofits delivering free educational content to underserved learners, though Khan Academy operates at vastly larger scale with broader subject coverage.
• 4-H: 4-H is the U.S. youth development organization administered by USDA and land-grant universities, with deep rural presence and STEM programming. It is comparable as a broader-incumbent because both serve rural youth through community-based educational programs and partner with land-grant universities (NC State for Katabasis).
• DonorsChoose: DonorsChoose is a nonprofit crowdfunding platform that connects donors with public school classroom needs. It is comparable because both are nonprofits facilitating resource flows to underserved K-12 classrooms, though DonorsChoose operates as a marketplace platform rather than direct program delivery.

Others

• WestEd: WestEd is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research agency that works with education agencies and schools on research, development, and capacity building. It is comparable as an adjacent ecosystem participant because WestEd is a named research and curriculum co-development partner on Katabasis's FRACTAL and SCHOLAR programs, providing research infrastructure that helps Katabasis deliver evidence-based products.

Direct peers

• Rural Schools Collaborative: Rural Schools Collaborative supports rural community schools through place-based education and philanthropy. It is directly comparable to Katabasis because both focus on rural K-12 educational equity, work through school district partnerships in underserved geographies, and operate as nonprofits with grant funding.
• Digital Promise: Digital Promise is a nonprofit that works to accelerate innovation in education through technology and equity-focused programs. It is comparable because both organizations develop and deploy educational technology solutions for underserved learners via school partnerships and federal grant funding.
• Code.org: Code.org is a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science in K-12 schools. It is highly comparable to Katabasis because both are nonprofits delivering free, grant- and donor-funded CS education to underserved students through school partnerships, though Code.org operates nationally and at much larger scale.
• Citizen Schools: Citizen Schools provides expanded learning programs that partner with middle schools to bring real-world learning and mentorship to students from under-resourced communities. It is comparable to Katabasis because both target underserved K-12 students through school partnerships and nonprofit, grant-funded program delivery models.
• Bootstrap: Bootstrap is a nonprofit that provides computer science curriculum and professional development to middle and high school teachers, with focus on equitable CS access. It is directly comparable to Katabasis's Agricoding program because both deliver CS curricula integrated into K-12 classrooms at no cost to students.
• CSforAll: CSforAll is a national movement funded in part by NSF to expand access to rigorous, inclusive computer science education. It is comparable to Katabasis because Agricoding received direct NSF CSforAll program funding and shares the mission of bringing approachable CS education to underserved students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/katabasis-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Katabasis